Żurek

About This Recipe

Żurek (pronounced 'zhoo-rek') is one of Poland's most distinctive and beloved soups, made from a fermented sour rye starter (zakwas) that gives the soup its characteristic acidic, slightly funky flavor. The soup is associated with Easter in Poland, where it is the traditional first course of Easter Sunday lunch, served with white sausage (biała kiełbasa), hard-boiled egg, and a spoonful of grated horseradish. The fermentation of the rye makes this one of the few traditional fermented soups in European cuisine. In Poland, every bakery and deli sells prepared zakwas starter, making the soup accessible even without home fermentation.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 mlsour rye starter (zakwas)(or combine 4 tbsp rye flour + 1 litre warm water, ferment 3 days)
• 1 litrechicken or vegetable broth
• 2 linksbiała kiełbasa (white sausage)(or kielbasa)
• 4 largeeggs(hard-boiled)
• 200 gfloury potatoes(boiled and diced (optional))
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 100 mlsour cream
• 1 tspdried marjoram
• 1 tbspfreshly grated horseradish
• 1 tspsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the broth

   Bring chicken broth to a simmer. Add sausage and poach 15 minutes. Remove sausage and slice.

2. 2

   Add the zakwas

   Strain sour rye starter through a sieve into the hot broth. Add garlic and marjoram. Simmer 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Finish with cream

   Whisk sour cream with a ladle of hot soup to temper it. Stir back into the pot. Season with salt.

4. 4

   Serve

   Divide halved eggs and sausage slices between bowls. Ladle hot soup over. Top with horseradish.

Variations

• •

  Serve in a hollowed-out bread bowl for a traditional presentation

• •

  Make a mushroom version (żurek z grzybami) without sausage

Storage

Keeps 2 days refrigerated. Do not boil when reheating — the cream will separate.

Frequently Asked Questions